Stretching device for neckties and the like



May 11, 1965 E. PRoTH 3,182,868

STRETCHING DEVICE FOR NECKTIES AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 6, 1963 www@ United States Patent O 3,182,868 STRETCHING DEVICE FOR NECKTIES AND THE LiKE Elizabeth Proth, 4385 Apartado del Este, Caracas, Venezuela Filed Nov. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 321,963 3 Claims. (Cl. 223-65) This invention relates relates generally to stretching or smoothing devices for use in connection with treating neckties and similar articles of apparel.

Due to frequent changes in design and form and, in particular, in width, often caused by fashion demand and also by the choice of textile material used in the manufacture of neckties, four-in-hand neck wear and like articles stretching devices of the aforesaid type heretofore created had the essential disadvantage that they were not universally applicable to various shapes and cuts of neck- ,ties to be stretched or smoothened.

The present invention tends to overcome these and other drawbacks of the prior art devices and has as one of its primary objects to provide means resulting in a stretching apparatus, which may be readily conformed to various types of necktie and like articles and may be produced from wood, berglas, plastic and similar known and relatively light weight stock material at greatly reduced cost.

It is another object of the invention to provide means affording a predetermined flexibility of the substantially flat necktie stretching apparatus and retention of sufcient moisture thereon for application to the article to be treated.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means contributing to a versatile and easily transformable de-` vice for stretching or treating neck wear articles, notwithstanding the fact that they are bounded by either straight cut or tapered edges.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means facilitating disassembly of the parts of the stretching device and storing the same, when not in use.

The various features of novelty which characterize the ICC 17, 18 are provided with grooves 17a, 18a at the edges 17h, 18b facing the outer edges 14, 15 of inner or base part 11. Thus means are formed for slidably assembling or interconnecting outer part 12 with base or inner part '11, as may be easily realized.

The upper ends 19, 20 of arms 17, 18 are formed with tapered portions carrying recesses 19a, 20a or suitable means adapted to releasably engage corresponding pairs of protuberances or noses 21, 22 which are provided on the edges 14 and 15 of base part 11. y

Part 12 may therefore be adjustably (see FIG. 4 position) or may beV removably engaged by base stretcher part 11 for a purpose about to be described.

Stretcher parts 11 and 12 are also provided with a plurality of minute holes or passageways 23, 24 which may be arranged in a peculiar fashion and either extend in rows of any desired configuration or may be made to follow, e.g. the outline of the name of a purchaser or of the store from which the purchaser has bought the neckinvention vare pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a top plan View of a necktie stretching device in assembled condition and pursuant to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2 2 of FG. l;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale along line 3-3 of FIG. l;

FG. 4 is a view similar to the device of FG. l with one of the parts of the device in the process of being adjusted to or withdrawn from the other part; V

FIG. 5 shows on a reduced scale the engagement of a taper-shaped necktie (indicated in dotted lines) with an assembled stretching device according to the invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, there is illustrated in FIG. l a necktie stretching device 10, made of -relatively thin and flexible material, such as plastic or plastic composition, and consisting of interengageable main or inner and outer stretcher parts 11 andV 12. Stretcher base part 11 is defined by substantially straight outer edges 14, 15 and a lowermost edge 13, which may be downwardly curved, if desired.

The outer U-shaped stretcher part 12 terminates in a tapered end 16 from which two arms 17, 18 extend. Arms tie stretcher. These holes serve the purpose of holding water drops or retaining moisture from a selected liquid, which, when thereafter transferred to the necktie material placed on the stretcher, permits the latter to easier give and to conform to the respective stretcher shape, as is well understood.

Depending on straight edge neckties or more or less tapered edge necktie structures to be treated, either stretcher part 11 alone or the latter together with U- shaped stretcher part 12 in assembled condition may be brought into the engagement with or inserted in the respective necktie shape (indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 5) whereby moisture transferred from the holes 23, 24 is taken up by the necktie material immediately prior to its stretching or like treatment action. Instead of frame part 12 as shown, a part of another shape (of a set of various frame part shapes) may be joined with or retained on the base forming stretcher part 11 and for removal therefrom. Other means known per se may be employed to adjust parts 11, 12 with respect to each other depending on the length and width of the necktie form to be smoothened or pressed by exerting slight stretching action. Parts 11 and 12 of the stretcher device 10 may be readily disassembled if desired. i

The uppermost end of the carrier or base part 11 is preferably provided with a perforation to facilitate suspension of the stretching device 10 from a nail or other support.

- It is well understood, that slidably engageable stretcher parts 11, 12 may also be manufactured from impregnated water-resistant cardor pressboard and that coupling of Asaid base part 11 with interchangeable frame part 12 may be had (instead of by slidable means) by xed or separable hinge means. In this case, part 12 may be joined to part 11 at the lowermost end of the latter.

During application, the upper reduced end of the stretching apparatus is first inserted into the lower hollow or tubular portion of the four-in-one necktie and then slidably engaged for straightening out its material on the exposed side of wear of the necktie. If the necktie termi-v nates in a tapered portion, the correspondingly tapered frame part 12 is applied to the lower portion of base part 11, in order to conform frame part 12 to the design and shape of the neckwear to be treated. Before applying the stretching apparatus, the perforations of same may retain some liquid drops for moistening the necktie material. v

It can thus be seen that there has been provided according to the invention a stretching and smoothening device for neckties of various lengths and shapes and like articles to be flattened, characterized by a base part having opposite lateral outer end edges and a lowermost end aisases edge, a U-shaped part l'taving two arms defined by inner and outer opposite lateral edges, said outer lateral edges of said arms tapering with respect to said outer edges of said base part, and coupling means respectively disposed at said base part and said arms for connecting the U-shaped part with said'base part, said arms extending beyond the lowermost end edge of said base part.

It will be observed from FIG. 4 that tapered end section 16 of part 12 terminates in an edge 13a which is larger or substantially coeXtensive with lowermost edge 13 of part 1l. When part l2 rides up and along lateral edges 17h, 1817 of part 11, arms 17, 18 may be first somewhat resiliently spread apart, whereafter said edges 17b and llb are finally engaged by grooves 17a, 18a and the desired lengthwise position of part 12 with respect to part 11 is iiXed through nesting of projections or noses 2l, 22 in recesses 19a, 20a. Removal of part 12 from part l1 may readily be caused by grasping tapered arm ends 19, 20 and moving them outwardly away from base part 11 and then pulling part 12 in the direction of arrow A (FIG. 4).

Several pairs of recesses 19a, 200. may be provided, if desired, for adjustment purposes in lengthwise direction of stretching ydevice 10.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

l. A stretching and smoothing device for application to'ra plurality of shapes of neckties and like articles cornprising a base part of substantially exible and waterrepellent material and dened by opposite substantially straight lateral outer edges whichl extend parallel to each other and by a lowermost substantially straight end edge, a U-shaped part having two arms defined by inner and outer opposite lateral edges, said outer lateral edges of said arms tapering with respect to the inner lateral edges of said arms and to said outer edges of said base part, and interengageable means respectively provided at said outer edges of said base part and at saidV inner lateral edges of said'arms, for interconnecting the U-shaped part with said base part in assembled condition of the device, said arms converging at one of their ends and extending beyond the lowermost end edge of said base part in said assembled condition. i

2. A stretching and smoothing device for neckties and like articles, characterized by a base part having opposite lateral upright outer end edges and a lowermost substantially horizontally directed end edge, a U-shaped part having two arms dened by inner and outer opposite lateral edges, said outer lateral edges of said arms taper ing with respect to said outer edges of said base part, which is of greater length than that of said Uashaped part, and coupling means respectively connected to said base part and said arms for joining the latter to said base part, said arms extending beyond the lowermost end edge of said base part, said coupiing means including recess means in said arms, and noses provided on the lateral outer end edges of said base part, engaging said recess means.

3. A stretcher device for straightening out neckwear and like articles, characterized by (a) a flat base portion of iiexible material;

(b) said base portion being defined by substantially straight smooth lateraledges extending substantially parallel to each other;

(c) moisture retaining means extending in predetermined fashion in at least one surface of said base portion and between said lateral edges;

(d) a U-shaped portion engageable with said base portion along the lateral edges of the latter and provided with smooth side edges slanting with respect to said substantially straight lateral edges of said base portion;

(e) interengageable means on said base portion and on said U-shaped portion for facilitating assembly of both said portions and for removal of one portion from the other portion; (f) and furtA er means for adjusting and xing the position of said U-shaped portion in lengthwise direction of and on said base portion in assembled condition whereby, depending on the straight or tapered shape of a necktie to be treated and stretched either the base portion with its straight lateral edges is inserted into the lower open part of a straight necktie or said base portion together with said J-shaped portieri in assembled condition is brought into the engagement of the lower open part of a tapered nercktie for stretching the necktie, while moisture is transmitted to the latterrby said retaining means. Y

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Y 7/ 32 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A STRETCHING AND SMOOTHING DEVICE FOR APPLICATION TO A PLURALITY OF SHAPES OF NECKTIES AND LIKE ARTICLES COMPRISING A BASE PART OF SUBSTANTIALLY FLEIBLE AND WATERREPELLENT MATERIAL AND DEFINED BY OPPOSITE SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT LATERAL OUTER EDGES WHICH EXTEND PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND BY A LOWERMOST SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT END EDGE, A U-SHAPED PART HAVING TWO ARMS DEFINED BY INNER AND OUTER OPPOSITE LATERAL EDGES, SAID OUTER LATERAL EDGES OF SAID ARMS TAPERING WITH RESPECT TO THE INNER LATERAL EDGES OF OF SAID ARMS AND TO SAID OUTER EDGES OF SAID BASE PART, AND INTERENGAGEABLE MEANS RESPECTIVELY PROVIDED AT SAID OUTER EDGES OF SAID BASE PART AND AT SAID INNER LATERAL EDGES OF SAID ARMS, FOR INTERCONNECTING THE U-SHAPED PART WITH SAID BASE PART IN ASSEMBLED CONDITION OF THE DEVICE, SAID 